1998 Winnebago Touch Up Paint (14 OEM Colors)

The 1998 Winnebago Vibe

Welcome to 1998-the year we were all worrying about Y2K while "Tubthumping" played on every radio from Maine to Modesto. If you were rolling in a 1998 Winnebago Brave or Chieftain, you were living the high life of the late-Clinton era. Our database shows 7 survivor colors for this year, and they perfectly capture that pre-millennium aesthetic. While Arctic White and Brite White kept things clean, the real stars were those earthy, "sophisticated" tones like Sahara Metallic and Umbra Brown. And let's not forget Plum Metallic-because nothing says "I'm vacationing in the 90s" quite like a purple-hued motorhome. It was a time when metallics were getting bolder, but the industry was still figuring out how to make them stay put on a giant fiberglass box.

Paint Health Check

We are firmly in The Peeling Era. By 1998, the industry had fully committed to the basecoat/clearcoat system. On paper, it was a revolution-deep gloss and better UV protection. In reality, 1990s clear coats are notorious for "delamination." You've seen it: the clear layer starts to look like a bad sunburn, flaking off in translucent sheets and leaving the base color underneath dull and unprotected. On a Winnebago, this usually starts at the roof radius or the front and rear caps where the sun hits hardest. If your Graphite or Plum Metallic looks like it's shedding its skin, you're dealing with a classic case of clear coat failure. Once it starts to lift, no amount of wax is going to save it; it's a race against time before the color coat underneath starts to chalk and fade.

Restoration Tip

The golden rule for 1998 paint: Seal the chips or lose the panel. Because the clear coat is a separate layer, a single rock chip can act as a gateway for moisture and air to get under the finish. Once that bond is broken, the clear will start to "spider" and eventually peel away from the base color. If you see a small chip in your Sahara Metallic, don't wait for the next season to fix it. Use a high-quality solvent-based touch-up to seal that edge immediately. If you're already seeing "sunburn" (white, flaky edges), you'll need to carefully sand back the failing clear until you hit a solid bond before applying your repair layers. Catch it early, and you keep the rig looking like it just rolled off the lot in Forest City.